Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Defending Drills

Defending 1 v 1 (10 mins)

Key Factors

defender up to press quickly

aim is for the defender to slow the play down ( in game scenario this will allow the team to regain positions)

Organisation

• Attacker passes to the defender who plays the pass back in.  The defender the quickly presses to the line to defend his box. The attacker has to dribble into the box and beat the defender and dribble pass the line. The attacker the becomes the defender and defender the attacker

Defending in pairs (10 mins)

Key Factors

• 2 defenders to work together. One press one cover the pass forward 
• high work rate from the defenders

Organisation

• blues to pass to work in pairs and when closed down pass across to the other blue.
• the 2 defenders close the ball down (not tackling). One presses the player and the other covers the space in the middle. when the Blue passes across the defenders switch and the other closes the ball down the other covers the space
• after 3 or 4 passes repeating this,the ball is played down the pitch to the other 2 blues.  The reds then rest and go onto the top corners and then the 2 blues previously in possession become the defenders